


A Queen's legacy

by pastelkisaki



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Radiant Dawn, Tellius Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26143186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastelkisaki/pseuds/pastelkisaki
Summary: Elincia won’t run away from her duties, as overwhelming as they might be.––––Written for day 5 of Tellius Week 2020: Enlighten/Escape
Relationships: Elincia Ridell Crimea & Geoffrey, Elincia Ridell Crimea & Luchino | Lucia
Kudos: 6





	A Queen's legacy

“My Queen.” The voice waking her from her daydreams comes in a soft but tight tone. Elincia looks at him, Geoffrey is standing at the frame of the door attentive to her response.

“Oh, Geoffrey.” She mutters and moves aside the document she’s currently reading –as months pass their number only increase and her work gets heavier–. “Is something the matter?”

“The meeting is about to start.” He says, and Elincia shows a perplexed expression. Looking at the window she can notice that it’s already well past the morning, the midday sun shines outside and she can hear the lively sounds coming from the castle grounds. “Lucia and I have been looking for you everywhere...did you forget?”

“I...I am sorry.” She looks at him again and sighs. “I didn’t, I was thinking and in between all the work lost track of time.” Elincia points at the documents in hand, to a moment later leave them in the drawer. When she’s about to get up Geoffrey comes inside the room and moves her chair for her, he then lends her a hand to help her stand, and she kindly accepts.

“It’s alright, luckily I found you in time.”

The way to the meeting room is filled in an awkward silence, at least for Elincia it feels so. The amount of work is what occupies her mind, the more she takes care of the more it seems to increase, and even if she can’t ask for anything else she still feels slightly overwhelmed. Geoffrey and Lucia are constantly keeping a close eye on her, they make sure she doesn't exhaust herself while suggesting the path to take in approach to the country’s requests and needs, she knows their own duty as both nobles and knights have them busy most days, but she’s immensely grateful for their support.

When they arrive Lucia is waiting for them at the entrance, she seems calm while smiling in her way but Elincia can feel her inner restlessness. Only a day before she had arrived from a trip to the countryside as a royal messenger of confidence and now attending to the council must be a tiring affair, more so than usual. If Elincia can’t even remember the last day off she had, she thinks that for Lucia that applies in a greater sense. She's grateful for all her help, but still worries she might be pushing herself too hard for her sake.

“Queen Elincia.” She greets her and Elincia smiles at her.

“Good evening, Lucia. I’m sorry for being late.”

“Nonsense, there’s still a bit more time.”

But Elincia knows she barely made it in time, and if it wasn’t for Geoffrey perhaps her mind would have wandered for way longer and in the end the already difficult meeting would have been more stressing to deal with. She mentally scolds herself, Crimea deserves and, most importantly, needs a Queen who gives her all for the land. Elincia repeats those lines in her mind as she walks inside with her two companions, most of the attendants already there and eager to start. No matter how many times this scene has been repeated and she gets more and more used to this kind of labours, she still feels a heavy feeling of nervousness creeping inside her.  _ “I must be strong and be the Queen Crimea deserves.” _

* * *

When the meeting is over and some more hours have passed night falls onto the crimean sky and peace sets itself all around Elincia in the castle, but she’s far from feeling relaxed and the storm in her mind would make it difficult to work, so she decided to take a little stroll.

She has always had a liking for taking walks around the castle grounds, ever since the times before the seeds of war and her father still governed she would go outside and see the state the place is in. When she was younger she would usually go with Lucia and Geoffrey, and the three of them used to play in the gardens until nighttime fell and they could barely keep their eyes open. Those were easier times, when responsibilities were way less in amount and her head was free from the crown.

She stops her walking and sits on the fountain in the main garden, one of her favorite places in all the castle and one in which her thoughts always seem to flow with more ease. Elincia  considers herself someone who, despite usually feeling nostalgia about past memories and experiences and cherishing them as something dear to her, thinks about the present and future as much as the old days. Meanwhile she misses the times in which no one would throw infinity of words at her demanding several explanations and some senseless requests, she still works hard to build the present into a fruitful future where her beloved country can live in welfare and happiness.

_ “You have one of the kindest hearts I have ever met, Elincia. I’m sure that after all this is over you will become a Queen for which Crimea will be proud.” _ Lucia once told to her a cold night during the Mad King’s War, and she remembers it now as a source of courage.  _ “A country doesn’t need strict rulers viewed as a higher being, not an untouchable person who gives no hint of vulnerability, but a kind heart willing to give its all for everyone. I think you are a perfect fit, as were the departed King and Commander Renning as well. When I saw you again after all this time I knew you are the only one I will serve, my future Queen and dearest friend.” _

_ “You are Crimea’s Queen. You may think it’s foolish of me to say so, but...as your knight, I will fight in your good name, spread the word of Queen Elincia’s courage and successes, her love for the people and her desire to build a promising land, so sooner or later everyone will learn to give an opportunity to the kind and strong woman who would do anything for them.”  _ Elincia remembers Geoffrey’s words of the day she ascended the throne, and she recalls the mix of emotions running on her as a result.  _ “....And as your friend, I will always be there to support you no matter what, always at your side.” _

When she accepted the crown as the next Queen she determined herself to follow those words, to fulfill her duties to one day be considered a just ruler, but she now knows something of that magnitude is easier said than done. Is difficult to satisfy the masses, and even more complicated to convince the variety of nobles that she rules with the best interests of the country in mind when they still see in her a young and naive princess, or maybe because of that is that some of their suggestions sound so unthinkable to her.

Elincia knows she’s still miles away from being as prepared to be a ruler as her dear departed uncle was before war took him out of her life, but she’s far from being the innocent girl who’s knowledge about the world leaves much to be desired. War and traveling taught her much more than she ever thought she would learn, so many painful experiences that came together to strengthen her resolution and her views in royalty and government, and she’s now even more sure and focused to lead Crimea to a better future alongside her most dearest companions.


End file.
